Ajanta Caves is situated at a distance of 99km from Aurangabad in Maharashtra. They
are cave shrines cut out of rock, by hand, and houses one of the most amazing archaeological
sites of ancient Indian architectural heritage in a panoramic gorge, in the form
of a gigantic horseshoe. Built by cutting the huge granite hillside and in according
to the historical evidences, caves were built by Buddhist monks, who lived here for a longer period of time.
The 29 caves at Ajanta are Buddhists
and dates back
between the 2nd century BC and 6th century AD.
History
Ajanta Caves remained shrouded in obscurity for a long period until John Smith, a British Army Officer, accidentally stumbled upon them while on
a hunting expedition around 1845 with a group of British officers in the Deccan
Plateau. Soon they discovered several caves behind the bushes and informed to the
government. The caves provide the finest example from the Chalukya, Kalachuri and
Rashtrakuta periods.
Astonishingly carved into hillside rock in the middle of nowhere, the Ajanta Caves
are a protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India and has been
included as a World Heritage Site. The “View Point” from where John
Smith first glimpsed the caves, provides a magnificent sight of the U-shaped gorge
and its scenic surroundings. Cascading down the cliff is a spectacular waterfall,
which at the bottom feeds a natural pool called the Saptakunda.
Buddha – Ajanta Caves
Ajanta caves depict the story of Buddhism, spanning a period from 200BC to 650AD.
The monks using rudimentary hand tools like hammer and chisel but with a deep faith inspiring them, they carved out the impressive figures adorning the walls of these
structures. The caves comprise Chaitya Halls, or shrines, dedicated to Lord Buddha
that are large, rectangular chambers separated by rows of pillar and the Viharas,
or monasteries, used by Buddhist monks for meditation and where they lived and thought
and carried out ritual performances. Five caves are Buddhist cathedrals and the
rest are monasteries.
The caves house some of the most beautiful and well preserved paintings, including two great Boddhisattvas: Padmapani and Avalokiteshwara. The Boddhisatvas in the Ajanta paintings
are celestial beings, often personifications of the virtues of Buddha, who visit
the world of men. The paintings in their range of time are a panorama of life in
ancient India and could well study for a description of the culture of those times.
Many of the caves house panels depicting stories from the Jatakas, a rich mine of
tales of several incarnations of the Buddha, as well as
images of nymphs and princesses
are elaborately portrayed. The flying apsara and the image of Buddha in the cave
number 17 are simply amazing.
The caves of Ajanta can be classified into two distinct phases: the earlier Hinayana
phase I, in which the Buddha was worshipped only in the form of certain symbols.
And the later Mahayana phase II, in which the Buddha was worshipped in the physical
form. Ajanta has two kinds of caves: The finished caves with 27 and depict different
forms of Buddha; and the unfinished caves with some of them are accessible.
Originally the itinerant monks sought shelter in natural grottos during monsoons
and began decorating them with religious motifs to help pass the rainy season. They
used earlier wooden structures as models for their work. As the grottos were developed
and expanded, they became permanent monasteries, housing perhaps 200 residents.
Although the responsible for Ajanta did not just hack holes in the cliff, they carefully
excavated, carving stairs, benches, screens, columns, sculptures and other furnishings
and decorations as they went, so that these elements remained attached to the resulting
floors, ceilings and walls. They also painted patterns and pictures, employing pigments
derived from natural water soluble substances. In addition they worked only by the
light of oil lamps with a little sunshine penetrating cave entrances.
The abandonment of these masterpieces around seventh century is a mystery. Perhaps
the Buddhist suffered religious persecution, or maybe the isolation of the caves
made it difficult for the monks to collect sufficient alms for survival. Some ones
suggest that Ajanta colony was relocated to Ellora, another series of handcrafted
caves chronologically begins where the Ajanta caves end.